Main Sequence ship design guide

The Designer is the shipyard

The official core-loop post describes three ways into the Designer:

• Command module: open the Designer to edit your station.
• Shipyard module: edit the ship docked there. Constructing new ships and disassembling old ones also happens through the Shipyard Core, according to the official patch notes.
• Main menu: design in creative mode and save blueprints for later.

Ships use modules rather than one monolithic hull. The official store description names cargo capacity, reactor placement and weapons as choices. The Designer screenshot shows Basic, Vertical, Piloting and Weapons categories, with a live mass/hull/thrust/dimensions readout and a separate build-cost list. Those categories are a good way to structure your own design pass.

Step 1: define the ship’s job

A ship that tries to mine, haul, fight and explore at the same time will usually do all four awkwardly. Pick a primary job:

The module list is confirmed, but the best combination is not. Specific ranges, damage values and power draws are not public enough to rank builds responsibly.

Step 2: read the build stats as trade-offs

The Designer readout gives you mass, hull, thrust and dimensions. The screenshot’s exact values belong to that specific build, not a universal target. Use the relationships:

• Mass versus thrust. Adding structure, cargo and weapons increases mass. More thrust helps a heavy ship move, but thrust modules also add mass and power demand. There is no public “correct” ratio.
• Hull is not invincibility. A high hull value tells you how much structure the design has, not whether the ship can survive a fight. Shields, weapons and mobility matter too.
• Dimensions matter in a first-person ship. The ship is a physical space you walk through. Long, tall or wide designs can be harder to fit around a dock and harder to navigate internally.
• Build cost is part of the design. The right-hand panel shows the materials required. A design you cannot afford is a blueprint, not a ship.

Step 3: plan power, space and access

The store description names reactor placement as a design decision. A reactor is not just a required block; it is a thing you need to reach and configure. Keep it accessible, and avoid sealing it behind a decorative wall with no door.

• Place power generation before filling the hull with machines.
• Keep power and fuel storage near the reactor or generator, not across the ship.
• Leave a walking route from the pilot seat to the power controls.
• Check that the final module count fits the power budget before you save the blueprint.

The available sources do not publish a per-module power table. Use the in-game configuration panel as the authority, especially after patches.

Landing gear and ship interiors

Landing Gear, Ship Ladder, Ship Frames, Ship Windows I and Small Habitat Window are confirmed ship modules or unlocks. They serve different jobs: some keep the ship physically usable, some are structural, some are interior navigation and some are visual. A screenshot of a beautiful ship is not proof that its landing gear or interior path works in the current build.

Step 4: build cargo around the route, not the stat

Cargo capacity matters only if the ship can complete the route, dock, and unload. The official August 2025 patch notes state that each Ship Container increases a ship’s inventory max stack size by 50%. That makes containers a strong tool for a hauler, but stacking them without thrust, power and docking space is not automatically better.

A useful test is a round trip, not a static inspection: load the ship, fly the intended route, dock, unload and check whether you had to fight the controls or abandon cargo space. If the route is too long, add range or reduce the load before adding more containers.

Step 5: weapons, shields and utility

Confirmed combat modules include the Plasma Cannon and Plasma Lance, while the Shield Generator Mk. 1 arrived in the October 19, 2026 demo update. The Tractor Beam and Mining Laser are utility systems shown in official screenshots and the ship designer.

Do not assume a mining laser is a competitive weapon simply because it is attached to a ship, or that a shield makes a ship invulnerable. The current public sources do not provide damage, range or resistance numbers. If you want a combat build, test it in the safest encounter you can find and bring Repair Packs.

Step 6: save, share and iterate

Official material confirms saved ship/station designs, sharing with friends and creative-mode building from the main menu. Treat blueprints as design records:

• Give each ship a role-based name, not just a version number.
• Keep a stripped-down test hull before uploading a decorated final.
• Save after a successful test flight, not before it.
• Expect blueprint compatibility to change between demo and Early Access; no transfer has been confirmed.

For the full module index, including what is and is not known about each part, use the ships and station modules database. For combat planning, read the combat and defense guide.

Common ship design mistakes

1. Building with no role. A generalist first draft is fine for learning the interface, but do not call it a finished design.
2. Ignoring the build-cost panel. The ship you designed may be far beyond what your station can currently produce.
3. Sealing the reactor. Power equipment needs access and configuration.
4. Copying old mass values. Official patches already changed ship-part masses; an old screenshot is not a current stat sheet.
5. Skipping the test flight. Dock, fly and shoot before you commit to a blueprint.
6. Assuming blueprints transfer. Save your ideas outside the game; demo-to-release transfer is unconfirmed.